Dorothy's POV
I'm still unsure whether Alpha Joseph brought me here because he recognized me as his mate and couldn't find the strength to reject me in those dark woods, or simply because his pack doctor looked ready for retirement decades ago. Whatever his reasons, I'm here now, and I intend to help this stubborn Alpha. This is exactly why I chose medicine in the first place. He doesn't have to lose that leg, not if I can help it. The procedure will demand everything I have, but the thought of finally working on a werewolf, especially an Alpha, sends excitement coursing through my veins.
"I assume you want to handle this immediately, Alpha?" I ask, studying his determined expression.
"The sooner we get this done, the better."
"Understood." I rattle off the list of supplies I'll need to properly reconstruct his shattered bones. "We'll also need to sedate you completely," I add, scanning the makeshift medical room to assess their setup. "Is this where we'll be working, or should we move to..."
"No." Joseph's voice cuts through my planning like a blade.
I pause, certain I misheard. "Excuse me?"
"No sedation."
My medical training kicks into overdrive. "Then we'll use a nerve block. I'll just need to locate the right injection site and..."
"No." The finality in his tone makes my stomach drop.
"Alpha Joseph, please listen to me. I'm going to have to thoroughly clean and scrub that wound. Then I'll need to cut your leg open, pin back your skin and muscle tissue so I can access the bone fragments. After that, I'll spend considerable time carefully repositioning each piece exactly where it belongs. The pain will be beyond excruciating. You absolutely need that nerve block."
"No." His green eyes lock onto mine with unwavering intensity.
I turn away, muttering under my breath about impossibly stubborn Alphas and their death wishes.
When I face him again, his eyebrow is raised in obvious amusement, as if he caught every word of my complaint. Heat floods my cheeks as I realize my mistake.
Damn it. I've been surrounded by humans with normal hearing for far too long. Exactly how much of my muttering can this Alpha pick up?
Dr. Anker barges through the door, practically hurling my requested supplies onto the nearby table with unnecessary force. I jump at the aggressive sound, but Joseph's response is immediate and terrifying. A low, menacing growl rumbles from his chest as he fixes the older doctor with a deadly glare.
"Will there be anything else, doctor?" Dr. Anker asks, somehow managing to make my hard-earned title sound like profanity.
"No, thank you. I can handle everything from here."
I move to the sink and begin the methodical process of scrubbing my hands and arms. My nerves are fraying for multiple reasons. First, I'm trapped in an unfamiliar pack with an Alpha who happens to be my destined mate. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from him or why he really brought me here. Even worse, he expects me to perform major reconstructive surgery while he remains fully conscious. What kind of insane Alpha makes that demand?
"You're thinking so intensely I can practically see smoke rising from your head, Dorothy. What has you so worried?" His voice carries a note of genuine curiosity.
I glance at him over my shoulder, trying to process his question. How can he possibly read my emotional state so accurately? Why is he paying such close attention to my every reaction? Is this what the mate bond feels like? I've only encountered two Alphas in my entire life. Alpha Harvey was decent enough, but he never displayed this level of awareness about my thoughts or feelings. And Dean... a violent shudder runs through me at the memory. That man was attentive for entirely different, deeply disturbing reasons.
After finishing my scrub routine, I turn back to face Joseph. He's still waiting patiently for my answer. "This procedure is going to cause you tremendous pain. Can I at least administer a local anesthetic to numb the immediate area?"
"No. I need to remain completely alert to protect my pack," he states matter-of-factly.
"You can't exactly protect anyone with only one functional leg, Alpha," I snap back, my anxiety making me bolder than usual.
"Joseph. Use my name, and you promised me you could save this leg."
"I can save it, IF you allow proper sedation so I don't have to worry about you flinching or jerking away while I'm working inside the wound."
"I have an extremely high pain tolerance."
That revelation doesn't surprise me at all. He wasn't even whimpering when Ivy and I discovered him in the forest. His body also bears multiple faint scars, evidence of countless battles. This man has been fighting in pack wars for years. He must possess an incredibly strong wolf capable of healing him repeatedly.
"How strong is your wolf right now?" I ask while preparing to clean his mangled leg.
"I am very strong, little one," a deeper voice responds, and my eyes snap upward as Ivy begins purring contentedly in my mind. Joseph's wolf has stepped forward to answer directly.
Joseph smiles knowingly, as if he can sense exactly what effect his wolf is having on mine. Can he actually hear Ivy's purring?
I shake my head firmly, trying to clear my thoughts. I need complete focus right now, not distraction from Joseph's intoxicating teakwood scent.
"If I hold each bone fragment in proper position, how quickly can you set them?" I ask.
"Not long at all, little one," he replies, his voice dropping to an almost sensual purr. "I am a very strong, very powerful Alpha wolf." His tone isn't arrogant, but rather like he's showing off.
My brain conjures an absurd image of a peacock displaying his magnificent plumage for a potential mate.
"Right," I manage, feeling my body responding involuntarily to the rich timber of his voice. It's as if his words are physically caressing every nerve in my body, awakening needs I've never experienced, especially not during surgery preparation.
I look directly into Joseph's intense jade eyes. "Are you ready, Alpha?"
"Joseph," he corrects firmly.
"Are you ready, Joseph?"
"Yes, Dorothy."
I grit my teeth, hating that I'm about to cause him agony, but if he refuses any pain management, there's nothing more I can do.
I begin gently washing blood from his leg, placing a damp cloth over the worst areas while being extremely careful not to disturb the protruding bone fragments. His entire body is covered in dried blood, tissue, and bone fragments, exactly as I expected. Beneath his signature teakwood scent, he reeks of war and death. This will be excellent training, learning to ignore battlefield odors while working. I certainly don't get this kind of experience at university.
"Talk to me," he says through clenched teeth.
"What would you like to discuss?" I ask, keeping my eyes focused on cleaning his wound.
"You know what you are to me?" The question sounds more like a statement. My stomach twists into painful knots.
"Yes," I answer without looking up. "After you've healed completely, you can reject me. If you do it beforehand, it might interfere with your recovery." I can't understand why the thought of this man rejecting me feels so devastating. I barely know him. I have no intention of becoming anyone's mate and returning to pack life, at least not until I finish school. Besides, this pack is far too close to Dean's territory for my comfort.
"Who said anything about rejecting you?" he asks, sounding genuinely offended.
Now I do look up at him. "But I'm a lone wolf."
"What you are, is my future Luna."
"You don't even know me," I protest, returning to my work.
"I know you're intelligent, compassionate, brave, and lonely," he states with absolute certainty.
The intelligent and compassionate observations make sense, easily determined from my medical profession and willingness to help him. The brave assessment puzzles me somewhat, but the lonely part hits unexpectedly deep.
"Why do you think I'm lonely?" I ask, reaching for the scalpel. I hold it up, showing him I'm about to make the first incision. He nods and continues speaking.
"The nearest university with a medical program is about an hour north of here. Between there and here, there are plenty of areas where a lone wolf could run safely, if she wanted to. But instead," he pauses, grunting as I carefully slice into his leg, "instead, you chose to come to an area saturated with wolf packs."
He's partially correct. Ivy does miss pack life and the companionship of other wolves. As for me, I could live alone indefinitely, but my wolf loves forest scents and feels more settled when she can smell other wolves nearby.
Joseph hisses sharply, and I glance up to see him taking deep, controlled breaths to manage his pain.
"How do you handle this level of agony?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"Mind over matter. Physical pain will destroy you mentally if you allow it. That's why torture works for extracting information. Break the body, and you can usually break the mind. My mind is stronger than my body, and my body is exceptionally strong."
I glance again at the scars covering his legs, living proof of his words.
"You've been fighting for a long time?" I ask, cutting through muscle tissue and carefully pulling it away from the shattered bone fragments.
"Since I became Alpha, many years ago."
"Many years?" I exclaim, straightening up to stare at him. He's much older than I initially thought.
That arrogant eyebrow rises again. On Joseph, the expression is devastatingly attractive.
"I took over this pack when I was barely an adult. I'm well into my prime now. That's been quite some time, little wolf."
"Ivy's not that little," I mutter, refocusing on his leg.
"She is compared to Oliver."
"Well, Oliver is an Alpha wolf. Only another Alpha would be larger," I point out, carefully extracting the first bone fragment. I examine it closely, determining where it belongs, then press it against the bone it separated from.
"Okay, Oliver, let's see what you can do," I say, holding the fragment steady so Oliver can begin healing the fracture. I watch in fascination as the bone begins reconnecting and sealing before my eyes.
"Amazing!" I breathe, momentarily forgetting my surroundings.
I've worked with humans for so long that I'd forgotten how rapidly wolves heal, especially Alphas.
"Is it really that exciting?" Joseph asks dryly.
I shrug, knowing not everyone finds medicine and surgery as thrilling as I do. "It is for me."
"Then this must be my lucky day," he says, just as someone knocks on the door.
I look toward the sound, then back at Joseph, wondering who could possibly be interrupting us.
"I told you I would protect you," he says, his smile so beautiful it nearly stops my heart. "Come in, Karl."
"Alpha, what the hell are you doing in here?" an angry voice demands as someone strides quickly to the table, staring in horror at Joseph's exposed leg.